The library and Libby really delivered this month – literally – my holds all came in one after another! Which worked out, because between a million little life things, I barely had time to sit down with a book (except all those late nights I couldn’t put books down lol). Still, I somehow made it through 16 (two five-star loves!). The vibe this month? Cute romances galore…not nearly as spicy as last month nervous side-eye (post here). If you want to check out my past reviews, they’re right here. I finally joined Goodreads in December and loaded in all my books—let’s be bookish besties! Here’s my profile. My rating system is at the bottom. Don’t forget you get 15 hrs audiobooks with Spotify if you have a membership. Now, let’s dive in!
Maid For Each-Other 5/5 – This was an audiobook for me, the narrators are so good! “I’m definitely going to try and track her down” I lol’d. Ridiculous meet cute but I loved it. Love the “rich name” Declan! How I loved this, I smiled while listening. I loved how he describes kissing her like she doing something different than anyone else before and like it’s the first time. Loved how rich he was, it was redic, does this happen IRL? Also had a fake dating plot, does this happen IRL? I love Declan and Roman’s friendship. Omg the twist, I LOVED! What feel good romance!!!! This was a feel good romance perfection!
Savor It 5/5– Got this on a whim because it was $4.99! Audible. Such a good audiobook. Omg LOLd when she tells Indy “let’s have a conversation about safe sex” as a joke! Lol – love that it was a chef who couldn’t cook (just like Caught Up a baker who couldn’t bake!) omg the gopher!!!! Lolz! I love that they’re both into each other and sweet with each other and there were no big secrets or issues, it was just lovely. Love all the times Fisher gets names of her ex and his fiancé wrong on purpose lol. Indy yelling at Fisher “have you ever cooked a goose?” and “NY smells” was so funny because that’s what I always say to Nick (that NY smells) lol, but it was such a sweet moment. Totally loved this one. There was no weird side plot or things either of them were hiding or fake dating, it was just sweetness all around, I loved it! Just when I finished it I found out this was part of a series, so I got the next one! Slightly spicy but not overtly. It’s just such a lovely read. It’s a healthy relationship that keeps you turning the page. Liked that it was short.
Left of Forever 3/5 – ok can we get the recipe for these scones lol? This was book 2 in the Spunes series (Savor It was #1) The male narrator was amazing, female narrator from Wild Card and while she’s good she does not sound like a blond! So that kind of threw me. Omg spicy from the get go, def not like the first one. But then it cooled off a lot. I just wish there was more of good stuff earlier like the first book. Weird pacing of the book like just kind of boring for a lot of it. Lots of crying and tears towards the end, seemed a little unrealistic, this stoic man is now like crying at the drop of a hat? Then his son cries and his brothers cry? Everyone crying lol. Maybe I just don’t buy this voice actress. Make voice actor was amaze.
We Begin At The End 4/5 – was my Spotify free one. That poor girl Duchess! So sad a little girl had all that weight on her shoulders. Oh Walk! What a captivating character. And Hal saying “we begin at the end” and Hal, noooo – what happened to him, I cried. The twissst/realization towards the end about the kids- there were many 😭. This was a good one.
If Not For My Baby 4/5-listened to this one and hot Irish man voice! 6’6” seems excessive lol. I love the way he talks. So cute that she’s the one that’s skittish. Love how she said he melted her multiple times. I always wonder when writers write about famous people- do they know or is this just made up? So curious! Just a little bit of spice. Omg Jen is the worst. Loved that the epilogue was 5 years later! A definitely cute book!
Caught Up 4/5 -library one that became available- omg the banter is great!! I loved when he was asking her dad questions before she came in, I LAUGHed out loud! Love when she calls him Baseball Daddy, lol. When flirty baseball daddy come out it’s so hot. I loved all the joking “stop getting ideas. Be professional” lol -love when Kai gets a little confident! Can we all get a collective sigh for how sweet Monty is? And his relationship with Ace is so cute. Love that he was so respectful of her skincare routine!
Wild Card 3.5/5– this book was highly anticipated, I was so excited because I read the rest of the Rose Hill series last month. Listened to this as an audiobook- her voice was too deep and raspy, sorry to say this, but she sounded old, like way too old to be playing this character, his was perfect though. So sad the woman didn’t tell him he was the daddy. Gwen and Bash’s meet cute was so cute. Love that he wants kids and the deadbolt so cute. Bassssshhhhh so surly! What a hunk muffin. Daddy Sash! A little much of her childhood issues, like ok we get it, and all left unresolved. God Tripp!!!! Ugh and worst timing, so annoying. Loooved how Bash stepped in and made Tripp leave at Gwen’s birthday, lol, finally! And I like how he stood up for Gwen and him and Gwen were at the yoga studio. It was fine, but not enough good stuff. I hate to say this, but this is my least favorite Elsie Silver book 🙁 there were all these unresolved things and convos that just wrapped up too nicely like his heartwarming convo with Rhys at bowling and then no mention or follow up about that? And what about him and his son, now they’re perfect? Just so much unresolved and like I said, not enough cute them together stuff. I’ve seen sooo much hype about it, maybe it’s just me, but it fell flat. Wild Side, that one was great!!
Pucked 3.5/5 now all the beaver jokes make more sense from the other book I read in this series. Thankfully I’ve gotten them all at the library, I read them out of order. I loved how obsessed/persistent Alex is at the beginning! And how quirky! The locker room scene when the coach says “your sister is an escort” LOLZ! Omg what Alex did, soooo bad, I don’t think I could have forgiven! The super MC part of the epilogue wtf, so weird. Overall cute, so much seccsy time, too much for me I think.
Dream Girl Drama 3.5/5 – Libby- listened to this. The male narrator was so good but the female one, not the greatest. Loved that she was a harpist! So unique. A little like um sure… with the timeline, they meet and that day or next day he rents her an apartment? Liked how into her he was from the very beginning, loved how sweet he was. So cute with the pop tarts. Loved that it was a hockey romance where he wasn’t like a totally playboy and that was the issue. So glad it worked out with them. Cute but I just couldn’t get past the female narrator trying to do guys voices, so bad, and v spicy when they finally got to it!
Full Measure 3.5/5– love the main characters name, so cute Ember-December. Loved when Josh said “I’m your whatever you need me to be” swoon!!! That moment when Josh came over and Riley was there and she said “whatever I need?” Just yay and swoon. What is it with awesome Joshes? Reminds me of Josh, the great character from Lights Out. The characters were a little young for my liking 20s, it’s just hard to relate. Thought it was really crappy of him not to tell her. And then I just felt like they were too young to be making such crazy life decisions and moves! So sad with her dad. I would have liked an epilogue a little more down the line, not like a few months, gimme a few years. Also it was hockey bad boy with lots of girls reforms trope which I don’t love.
Hallowed Ground 3/5 – I had purchased this at 1/2 priced books and then had gotten Full Measure from the library. I had no idea they were part of the series. And this one was a continuation of Full Measure, the “after” I was looking for after Full Measure lol. They still seemed so young. Love that she included the “in your whatever” line, so cute. I felt like he kept letting her down, like suggesting they get married just because he was getting deployed (though I understood), like not opening up and after his crash, not listening to her no at the motorcycle race, it just felt like an unhealthy relationship. It was interesting when he said has it ever occurred to you that I don’t want you to know? And ugh “at what point does pushing her away become a mercy?” I just felt it was stupid of Josh. And Ember, ugh she kept saying she understood and would do anything to be with Josh and when he tells her he’s going back, after previously telling her he’s going to want to go back again and again, she gets mad, unfair of her. Legit could not believe he left that morning after giving her a days warning!!!!!!
Long Shot 4/5– ok check those content warnings because this one has some really heavy sad stuff, in detail, first book I think should have had more content warnings! I could not put this down though. Caleb is the bleeping worst omg. It’s so good but I wanted more of the good stuff!!! The things August says, swoon “I’d play you at the five” and “staying is the best shot at winning you” the moment at the wedding with Sarai was sooo sweet. It was really good book, a little too much violence and spice for me.
Can’t Get Enough 4/5 – Didn’t realize this was also a Kennedy Ryan book (just like Long Shot.) This one was a Libby listen, very sexy narrators. It was very well written and a beautiful story with many heart wrenching moments and how she had to deal with her mom with Alzheimer’s.
Bourbon and Lies 3.5/5 – check those warnings (but this content wasn’t too bad)! Ok it was a cute little romance, didn’t go deep with any of those content warnings as I thought it was going to. The memory box, so so sweet. Loved that there wasn’t a third act breakup. This had some spice, but not too over the top. Very cute mix of small town romance and found family. I love when there’s sweet/strong brother and dad/grandad dynamics. The story and back story was just missing a little bit of umph for me. Seemed a little long (450 pages). It didn’t immediately make me want to tear into book 2.
What Happens in Amsterdam 3/5– Was a Libby listen – the female narrator trying to do a Dutch man accent was awful. And there was so much of it. With her face birthmark you’d think it would be highlighted on the cover. Found the main character to be whiney and annoying. Very repetitive. Was just a little better than ok.
Haunting Adeline 2/5 – Check those warnings, this one is darrrrk! It’s a dark romance, a little dark for me, I get scared lol. And I don’t have the stomach for hearing about the horrors of human trafficking – the ritual thing, vom. Like the whole “I’m going to teach you a lesson thing” was a little scary for me. And he walks by her and sees her and knows she’s going to be game for a stalker? The gun play, the fear, like I said, it was a little much for me. “I love that you scare me” eeek. I can’t do child abuse anything, I can’t watch Law and Order SVU since having kids. I don’t know why Adeline was so mean to him when she was like v into it. Omg the book just ended on a cliffhanger, I hate when that happens! I heard that book 2 is wow crazy intense dark too. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrators are top notch!! But I’m scared. Couldn’t listen to this at night lol. Give me another fluffy romance please, where’s daddy Cade?
My rating system
- 5 stars – I loved this book and would recommend it to someone looking for their next book to read. This is a book I would re-read and am slightly jealous of anyone who gets to experience it for the first time
- 4 stars – I really liked and enjoyed this book, it was solid. Glad I read it.
- 3 stars – I liked this book enough to finish it, but wish there would have been something more – and probably wishing it had changes
- 2 stars – It was hard to finish, but I made it to the end. I don’t understand why people liked this
- 1 star – Really annoyed I finished this book, did not like it
- DNF – Did not finish, just couldn’t do it
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